Toy.



PATENTE'D DEC. 20, 1904.

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A rromve rs M. L. WIGKS, JR.

TOY

APYLIOATION FILED DEC, 9, 1903.

no MODEL;

UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

MOSES LANGLEY WVICKS, JR, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,992, dated December 20, 1904.

' Application filed December 9,1903. Serial No. 184,418.

To all whom, it 'nuty cmwern:

Be it known that I, Mosns LANGLEY WIcKs, J r., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Toy, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a toy the prominent feature of which is a combined returnball and cap snapper or exploder. In the specific embodiment here illustrated I employ a hollow ball of rubber or other light durable material, from'one side of which a cord projects and at the other side of which is arranged a peculiarly-constructed cap receptacle and striker, so that when the ball is thrown or dropped against the ground or other firm surface the cap will be exploded.

This specification is an exact description of one example of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in'which similar characters of reference inclicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the exploder.

cindicates what is preferably a hollow elastic rubber ball. This ball is intended to be formed of material as light as possible and preferably elastic. Soft rubber is considered best for this purpose;butotherequivalent materials may be employed, such as papier-machor celluloid. The term ball is used here not as a limitation to the exterior form of the element referred to. ably by a wire thread 6, is a plate 0, which is held to the outer side of the ball a and formed with a cavity 0', constituting a cap-receptacle. (Z indicates the hammer, which is carried on an arm cl This arm is hingedly mounted on the plate 0 at the point (Z and the free end is adapted to be held by a latch which is in the form of a ring and slides in a guide 0 formed on the plate 0. Said ring is capable of moving into the active position shown in Fig. 1 or of moving leftward to inclose the free end of the arm d, as shown in Fig. 2. The latch e also holds the part (Z loosely, so as to allow the necessary movement of the ball.

Securely fastened, prefer hammer (Z. It is clear that by inserting acap in the receptacle 0 and moving the parts into the position shown in Fig. 2 on striking the hammer- (Z upon the earth or other relatively unyielding surface the hammer may be made to explode the cap.

f indicates the cord, which is applied to the This cord has at one end a ring f or other means for conveniently connecting it with the hand of the person using the toy. The other end of the cord is joined to a wire g or other means constituting, essentially, an extension of the cord, this wire passing into the ball a through the side opposite the side occupied by the cap-exploder and is connected, preferably, to the fastening-wireb of the plate 0. This provides a secure connection for the cord, and the strain thereof is communicated to the detonator and through the detonator to the rubber ball, thereby preventing injurious strains on the comparatively frail ball.

The manner of using the invention will be understood from the foregoing description. It will be seen that the invention provides not only what is known as the ordinary returnball, but a detonating device, both of which may be used together with a decidedly amusing effect.

By using an elastic ball, such as the ball a, not only may the device be used in the same way and with'the same ad vantages as the wellknown rubber toy ball, but in addition the detonating device may be used, and the elasticity of the ball will cause it to give when the detonating device strikes the ground or other unyielding surface, and injury to the detonator is avoided. If a heavy unyielding ball were used, the detonating device would soon be broken by the blows to which it necessarily is subjected.

Various changes in the form, proportions,

and minor details of my invention may be resorted to at will Without departing from the spirit and scope'thereof. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the intent of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A toy comprising a ball of relatively light material, a cap-exploder attached to the outer surface of the ball, and a cord attached to the cap-exploder and extending through the ball and out from the ball at a point 0pposite the cap-exploder.

2. A toy, comprising a hollow elastic ball, a cap-explode! attached to the outer surface of the ball, and a cord attached to the cap-exploder and extending through the ball and out from the ball, at a point opposite the cap-exploder.

3. A toy, comprising an elastic ball, a capexploder attached thereto, and a cord attached to the ball.

4:. The combination of a base having a socket forming a cap-receptacle, a hammer mounted at one end to swing on the base, and 

